Happy New Year!

Cutter's Log - Stardate 9002.04.10
Current Song - I'll be Around (The Spinners)

It's been quite a while since I last typed an entry. That's that happens with the absence of the Internet. It looks as if I'll be getting it sometime this week or next. I have to go back to Unique to get that other gig of RAM. Also, I need to ask them how to install a modem. I've got the phone line next to my computer, I just need to make that connection actually happen. Then I'll be set. I still get to the library once in a while for computer use. I haven't been there in a week, and thus I haven't checked the boards in a week! I've got plenty of time this week as I am off Tuesday thru Thursday plus Saturday. Other than the Internet thing, all is going well with the computer. I'm playing a lot of Pinball and Hoyle Casino when I'm not typing columns. I'm typing this entry on my home computer and saving it.

I can't even remember when I last typed an entry here. Christmas and New Years have both passed.

I didn't receive a whole lot for Christmas this year, because I'm getting older. I even wrote out my largest Christmas list in years. Only one thing on my list was actually given to me: high school sports shirts. My grandparents gave me one from Dakota and one from Milledgeville. You see, I'm trying to be the Bill Cosby of high school sports, wearing the shirts and sweaters of schools. Other than that, not a whole lot of noteworthy things:

*My mom's mother (MeMa) gave us a pictorial history book of Sterling and Rock Falls (I didn't know this was published, so this was a good gift).
*Mom and dad gave me a desk lamp, which I have yet to install or fit on my desk.
*They also gave me one of those $50 Visa gift cards from Wal-Mart.
*I can't even remember the other one.
*Also got socks from grandma and grandpa??
*$50 check from them too.
*$25 gas card from my Uncle Mat.

Another unique gift was from my Aunt Judy. Her gifts are usually a donation in our names to a charity. We had a get together a couple weeks ago where we got to choose our charity. Chris picked the Red Cross. Judy gave us each an envelope with $50 and another envelope in it. We would choose on our own how much we would keep and give. I put the whole $50 in it. I look at the gift as the opportunity to do such a thing. I recently got a nice card from her about how generous I was. She knew I had car trouble (lights) and was about to give me back some of it. She said she then decided it was best to respect my wishes.

I did buy a few things with the spending money. Two things were an MP3/CD cassette adapter for my car, and a pedometer.

Yes, I am going to try what I have tried the last ten or so New Years. I really need to lose some weight. I think I said this last year. I've crept over 300 and then some. I think I was at 327 at one point in December. Today I am down to 305 with yet to put on the pedometer. I get to lose weight and save money because I won't eat out a whole lot.

One of the problems of being a journalist like me is that you get to travel all over creation and spend a good amount of time sitting on your butt in front of a table and a sports event, and in a car. I could probably tell you the best places to eat in northern Illinois, as well as the best teams and athletes. The post game is so concentrated on putting together the story, structuring it, and getting it out. Then when you get done, there is this free fall of relief which will absolutely drain me. For refueling, I'll get something high-octane. By the time the games are over only the 24-hour food places are open. I've got places to go yet this year including one trek deep into the Chicago suburbs this week. I can't really pack a lunch because it will spoil.

I think part of the problem was going to Freeport back and forth. Whenever I would get my stuff done there I would go to the McDonalds or Burger King and eat that on the drive home. One day at work I was browsing through a bunch of tossed out Sunday papers, and I put together dinner items that don't normally sound like dinner: cans of soup, hot pockets, etc. I cut out the coupons of these things. The cafeteria at Highland has a microwave and I'm sure various gas stations have them as well. I'm going to try this more often.

As far as work is concerned, I had to work a couple hours on Christmas Eve, and for the third year in a row I was at a gas station "celebrating" the new year. At times I was unhappy with working there and wanted to leave. I've mentioned it on here time after time. I'm not the best worker. I'm probably not a good worker at all. I struggle a lot with learning how to do things a certain way that I have to resort to shortcuts to get it done. I need to pace myself a lot because I'll go crazy if I'm doing things non-stop. This I do not think my co-workers will understand. At times I truly feel as if they are trying to make things miserable for me - all I can do is attack it by looking at the positives of these things.

I'm also planning on making some minor changes to the NISB homepage as well this week.

That's all for now. Hopefully I won't have another drought.